Save the Banker, save the world.

pork belly futures, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

Yesterday we went to Tokyo to Save the World. Simon Le Bon came too, fronting some 80s tribute band called "Duran Duran". Despite the extravagance, I'm not sure it beats the remarkable EGU conveners' party...

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A Myohonji montage.
I have been struggling with how to describe Myohonji, a temple not often visited by casual tourists to Kamakura. As I remarked in an earlier post it is full of contrasts. It also contains a lot of weird things like the the giant clam shells, a disappearing staircase, tombstones growing lichen and a giant shiny new statue of Nichiren, making it like a level from tomb raider perhaps, or something from Indiana Jones. Nichiren, is an amazing guy who founded at least 8 of the top 5 temples in Kamakura as well as thousands of other temples all over Japan. As it is quite new, the statue is best viewed on a cloudy day; it is rather dazzling in the more usual bright sunshine.

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winter blossoms, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

zawazu (early cherry, pink)
robai (yellow wax plum)
ume (plum - actually a kind of apricot - white and pink)

How to identify cherry blossom: the flowers grow in clusters on stems out from the tree branch and each petal has a little divot in its outer edge. In contrast, plum (ume) and apple (boke) and their relations have flowers which appear to be directly attached to the branches, and the outer edges have no divot. ..there may of course be exceptions... but now you need never again be embarrassed by exclaiming "oo lovely cherry blossom" at an ume tree, as so many visitors shamefully do.

Identifying the trees when not in bloom: if you see a really old looking tree with broken bark and twisted branches, sometimes quite dark in colour, held together with string, that's probably ume. Cherry trees are typically more robust and youthful looking. Whether this is partly because the cherry are municipally planted by city workers, and replaced when they get fragile, rather than nurtured by loving gardeners for decades, I am not sure - but I think it is just the way the two trees grow.

[all pics taken by j and J in Kamakura in January]

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Ikea Japan, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

Adult sized furniture arrived in Japan a few years ago, but by then we already had a full house, so we never visited until recently. It is, however, rumoured that the cleverest Annan (J's Ma) and her consort may visit in the spring, and I am virtually certain they will need somewhere to sit. Which sofa do you think she would prefer?

Ikea is shockingly last century. Not only are the same models of flat-pack being sold that we hurriedly bought just before we came to Japan, but you have to go to the darn shop to purchase. The big flat-pack storage area was, however, spacious and magnificent. If St.Arbucks are the chapels of mammon, Ikea are the cathedrals.

In one aspect the Japanese sect of Ikea is more liberal than that in the UK, where all must partake in the ritual of the car-worshipping traffic jam before and after the main service; in Japan there is a free shuttle bus from the nearest station.

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Coming of age day (成人の日, Seijin no Hi), originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

Yesterday was totty day at Hachimangu. It was especially busy this year. Perhaps a couple of photo-clubs had made the pilgrimage. That would explain the groups of same age, same style, same camera people standing in the same place taking the same picture. The youths who were not attending the official ceremony seemed to be having all the fun. One kimono-girl even got her boyfriend to photograph her with James. Ah - the allure of the tall fairish "western" man...

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